Meet the debaters: Charlie Kesslering, Preston Phelan

Monday

Jun 18, 2007 at 4:02 AM

By LINDA HALLStaff WriterSeniors Charlie Kesslering and Preston Phelan were paired for the duo interpretation category their freshman year, and the rest of the story, one might say, is history.This year they became the first duo interpretation team from Wooster High School to win a state competition."It is impossible to convey to people who have never competed how difficult it is to win a state tournament," Phelan said. "If a football team were to win a state tournament," they would be celebrated with parades and parties, "because everyone understands that accomplishment."Of course, he stressed, "I didn't do it for parades and parties.""After four years of competition, seeing literally thousands of competitors fail to even qualify for state or break into the top 24, to win is just an incredible feeling," said Kesslering, who served this year as president of the speech and debate team.They laugh, however, at the notion they were a well-oiled machine right from the start.At their first state tournament, they came in second to last in their routine about jumping off the top of a building."We each had one character to play," Kesslering said, and despite the disappointing finish, it was a "rather successful season." No matter their ranking at the state tournament, they qualified to compete -- an achievement in itself.During their sophomore season they placed second in their event in the competition held at Wooster High School."It is one of the biggest tournaments in the state," Phelan said, noting modestly, "We definitely got lucky on that one."Their piece that year was a social satire. "We went to state that year, also," Phelan said.By their junior year, they were ready to arrange their own "cutting," or portion, of a story, condensing the "whole story of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" into 10 minutes, "while still making room for little jokes," Phelan said.However, Kesslering said, "Once again we did not 'break' at state," in other words, qualify for additional competition after four rounds."This year we were coming off strong after a successful season," Kesslering said, having won two district tournaments."We (have) kind of developed a distinct kind of style," Phelan said, creating "along with different characters, faces and voices and a lot of physical moves.""After four years we learned to tap (into our creativity) and use it to our advantage," Kesslering said."We can read each other's mind and can make changes to each other's piece seconds before (competition)," Phelan said.Holly Humes Custer was their fourth personal coach in four years, Kesslering said. Although Sharen Althoff was the head coach all those years, she did not directly coach Kesslering and Phelan."We did a lot of self-coaching," Phelan said.The best coaching, in Kesslering's opinion, was observing the best teams.Their "cutting" this year, called "The Write Stuff," was about "a kid taking a spelling test, and his imagination keeps running away with him," Phelan said.Kesslering thinks good timing and sound effects "set us apart."In a duo interpretation round held in one of the high school classrooms at the Wooster tournament, competition seemed tough.Caitlin Lowe and Haley Gilmore from Middletown High School played off of each other in a routine called "Great Books," abridged.Using rap, poetry, different voices, and at times, French accents, the team raced through a series of stories from soap operas to works of Charles Dickens.In an entry from another male duo, "Politically Correct Bedtime Stories" described the "Billy Goats Gruff" as "co-dependent.""We tempted you in the first place," the goats tell the troll, who has pledged to "embrace (his) trollhood."When they finished their interpretation, one mouthed words of encouragement -- "That was perfect" -- to the other.The entire round was "a good start to the day" of competition, the judge said.With national competition on the horizon, Kesslering and Phelan need to be careful how much they practice."We will be working with Holly sporadically," Phelan said. In this case, too much practice wouldn't make perfect, in their opinion."We don't want to get bored with (our routine)," Phelan said. "We started putting stuff together in August.""It was really a year-long season," Kesslering pointed out.Kesslering's brother, Connor, "was really the one who got me interested in (speech and debate)."In fact, Connor Kesslering was the state runner-up in humorous interpretations and a national qualifier, his proud brother, Charlie, said.While Charlie Kesslering and Phelan want to make history, they already have done so with their state championship."We are really honored," Phelan said.He described the Wooster High School Speech and Debate team as a "powerhouse." "We're part of that," Kesslering said.But their attraction to the genre is stronger than that."It's just a lot of fun to put together," said Phelan, who enjoys watching his audience laugh.If getting the word out could "get a few more kids in speech and debate, that would be great," Kesslering said.Reporter Linda Hall can be reached at (330) 264-1125, Ext. 2230, or e-mail lhall@the-daily-record.com.

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